Abilene Christian University

  • Cutaway rendering of the Natura MSR-1 molten-salt research reactor installation at Abilene Christian University’s Science and Engineering Research Center. The liquid-fueled reactor vessel sits within a trench-mounted enclosure, where fission heat is carried by a forced-circulation molten-salt loop to a primary heat exchanger. Thermal energy is then transferred to secondary systems located in adjacent sections of the trench, allowing reactor heat to be rejected to air or routed to other applications. Natura says this physical separation of core, heat removal, and secondary systems enables flexible integration of industrial thermal processes—such as produced-water desalination—without relying on high-pressure steam systems or large volumes of cooling water.
    Nuclear

    Natura, NGL Move to Pair Nuclear Molten Salt Reactors with Large-Scale Produced-Water Treatment in Permian

    Abilene-based Natura Resources, which won the first federal construction permit for a liquid-fueled molten-salt reactor in 2024, will work with NGL Water Solutions Permian to explore deploying its 100-MWe reactor design alongside thermal desalination systems to transform briny drilling waste into usable water—while powering data centers and other industrial loads hungry for around-the-clock electricity. The […]

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    Nuclear

    DOE Allocates Second Round of HALEU Fuel to Three U.S. Nuclear Companies

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled three more companies to which it will allocate high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) under conditional commitments in a bid to support advanced reactor development and domestic fuel production. The Aug. 26 announcement marks the second round of allocations under DOE’s HALEU Availability Program but it links to two […]

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    Nuclear

    NRC Begins Construction Permit Review for Pioneering Nuclear Molten Salt Research Reactor 

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted Abilene Christian University’s (ACU’s) construction permit application for a 1-MWth nuclear non-power Molten Salt Research Reactor (MSRR) facility planned for the university’s campus in Abilene, north-central Texas. The acceptance—which essentially marks the NRC “docketing” of the application—formally kicks off the regulatory agency’s review of ACU’s proposed Nuclear Energy […]